Posted: 11/17/2004 5:13:21 AM EDT
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Does anyone know anything about the Redhead safes that are sold by BassPro? My dad is thinking about getting a 14 gun fireproof safe from them for me and was just wondering if anyone had any info about them. I was mainly wondering who made them, how good they are and stuff like that. Thanks in advanced. |
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Don't know about them, but don't go cheap on a safe. Remember that the last forever. If money is a concern, there is such a thing as a good deal on a good safe. If you just want basic keep kids hands off (not anti theft) security, get one of those cheap sentry steel cabinets until you get the funds for a legitimate fire/security safe. |
Oh yeah. Mine is a Champion 38" wide. I think...? I am constantly trying to rearrange guns to fit in it. And my collection is still 'small' by most standards. With 5 more ARs on the way, it is going to get even more crowded. If I had not bought absolutely the biggest that would fit in the space available, I would already be contermplating a new safe after just a year of safe ownership. TRG |
Thanks I am thinking about taking a trip to Basspro in Nashville tonight and checking one out myself and seeing, Thanks everyone |
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I was told that you should consider the location of your safe almost as much as the safe itself. Ignore most of the talk about the heavy door, drillproofing, etc. Most thieves are not going to attack the door. And if they are really serious, they will just wait for you to be home and put a gun to your ear and have you open it.  If they do attack the safe, they will be more likely to come through the sides, or top. Watch for that metal thickness more than the door itself. Position your safe so that these brute force atacks are less likely. Also, your safe is more likely to be affected by fire, than burglary. Double fire seals and pins at the top an bottom help prevent heat from entering your safe. The fire seals will swell in place to prevent hot gases from venting like a chimney through your valuables, and the pins at the top and bottom of the door help prevent it from warping. If the safe does not have a double fire seal, and pins at the top and bottom of the door, it greatly reduces the chance of protecting you valuables. And... The fire rating is only to show you the time it takes to reach a specified temperature inside the safe. Not the time the safe can fully protect your papers, plastics, photographs, heirlooms, wood and other items that would be damaged by 300+ degree temps. since your safe is a heat sink, once it gets hot inside it will stay hot for a while. Those nice wood stocks will be baked and split, your photographs will melt and other items will continue to be subject to a very nasty-hot-dry environment for quite some time. TRG |
Ok, I know it's not what you asked, but I'll chime in with something I posted in another recent thread about safes:
I'll also add that I agree w/ TheRedGoat in that positioning can be key. Some people buy they biggest safe available, stick it in the middle of a room or worse yet, in the garage (where all the tools that'll help break into it are located). If you can stuff it in a tight closet where it's harder to swing an axe or hammer, all the better. If you're lucky, a would be thief wouldn't even find it. I'd rather have a couple medium sized sturdy safes hidden in different parts of the house than 1 big flimsier safe in the middle of a room somewhere. Note: Bigger means less side wall strength in the middle of the sides/top. Bolt them down and to walls as best you can. Make removal difficult (you'll never make it impossible). Mines mounted w/ 3" lag bolts into the foundation. I went for the best fire proofing I could... w/ the rating on my safe, I'm confident the papers would even remain fine in even the worst house fire (based on discussions w/ a fire-fighter friend). A cheap safe is good for a "hold over" or for keeping kiddies out, locking up ammo, etc, but the investment is worth it when a GOOD safe is still less than the cost of just one of your ARs. Like your rifles, it's an investment that will most likely last a lifetime. rvb |
No problem. www.championsafes.com/crownseries/ Mine is the C-40 www.championsafes.com/championsafespecifications/index.html Lifetime free replacement if it is damaged by fire or theft attempt. TRG |
 crown here also  The 50
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Buy whatever it is you can afford at this time, you can allways upgrade at a later time.... Remember that any safe can be broken inot, given the tools and the time. That is what will work in your favor, the thieves would have to spend extra time in your house, something they dont want to do, they want in and out as fast as they can. I have a Liberty Colonial, and like it. I have a little more piece of mind when I leave the house. |
The spot I chose for my C-40 was almost a perfect fit for it. I would have bought a C-50 if it would have fit. BTW, when other gun friends stop by, do you let them just 'feel' the way door swings open, the mass, thickness, bolts? I love watching them drool. Class by itself. TRG |
Screw that - Get the biggest safe you can get into your house without tearing out a wall. Installers had to remove a piece of molding from my door frame to fit this into the office. It's 72" high.  Got it two weeks ago today and haven't finished stuffing it with firearms and coins and cameras and bullion and papers. It will be almost full when I'm done. |
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wildearp, I looked at those when I was shopping, but the 1.2 to 2.75 tons prevent their use in many residential places.... For one thing, they HAVE to be on the bottom floor (ie on concrete) or you have to do some serious re-enforcing, espcially if you add another 1/2 ton of crap into it. Secondly, I'd have to buy a bigger truck to move it, or get a good trailor! Thirdly, I'd have to buy pizza/beer for a lot more guys to help install it. Lastly (and mostly), it only prevents against 1 of 2 household problems. There's no fire protection. I decided I'd rather have a "jack of all trades/master of none," than the ideal theft proof safe w/ zero fire protection. So I hid it, made the sides as inaccessible as possible, and bolted it to concrete like you said. Also, question for DeadSled, does Champion seiously beat the 1680* for 90min on my Ft Knox?? rvb |
http://www.championsafes.com/championfireprotection/index.html 1500 for 105 minutes. FWIW, most housefires do not reach that sustained temperature for that length of time. That is another good reason to really think about where you locate your safe. What can burn around it? Chairs? Couches? carpet? etc. TRG |
Correct, I was talking w/ a buddy who is a voluteer firefighter, and he told me from what he remembered from his training, 700* for like 15 minutes was a BIG, HOT fire for a single-family residence. I like the "room for error" as it would hopefully keep the internal temp low enough that deeds, wills, cash, soft metal, plastics, etc would be ok. Sounds like the two ratings are about equal, then (when you consider the time vs. temp). The only problem w/ my current setup and fire is my ammo locker is just on the other side of the wall. No better dry place for it in my small house though. :( rvb |
and from what i hear (dunno if true or not) Ft Knox safes are tesed laying on their back not upright like others. who does the testing for Fort Knox Phoenix or some other reputable testing standard |
dunno the answer to that, but would it really make a difference? I mean you could get more thermal gradiant with the safe vertical, but you're heating the same volume of air, right? Either way, based on our discussion above of average house-fire temps, I don't think it really matters with the quality of safes we're discussing. Based on my experience so far, my next safe will probably be a Ft. Knox also, but one w/ the 3/16" sides. But I would sure consider champion if I couldn't find a Ft. Knox easily. Both good solutions. Actually, I hope in my next house, to put the safe(s) in a basement and box them in w/ re-enforced concrete so you'd have to bust out a concrete "wall," then attack the safe to get to it, but that's just day dreamin' for when I move out of MD. ;) rvb edited to add: The sticker in the door as the letters CF in a diamond shape. At the top of the sticker it says "Certified Fire." Does that pertain to your question about the testing facility? |
smaller surface area to heat up when laying down therefpr longer time. but either way 1680 is damn hot! Vault door
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hmmm... guess I figured it would be ambient temp, not from a "hot plate" or thermal stream. did you see my edit above about the "CF" sticker? rvb ps. vault.... that's my other idea.... but I already have a safe! 
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I was wondering who does their independant testing. there is like 2 companies out there that have basically set the standard for fire testing safes Phoenix and some other company that starts with an O i think |
Think you can take a trip up here and help me out with a discount  Seriously though I know a couple people that work there and was wondering what it would take from them to get that kind of discount. All my dad can get is the military discount. thanks
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